Page 150 of Monstrous Serpent

“Are you two making out right now? Finally. Holy shit, finally. I'd clap but—” Shaw holds up a head as he prances out from the tree line. “Fun fact, switchblades are shit for decapitation. But this guy had a hatchet, so crisis averted.”

Fucking hell.

Atlas turns toward him, groaning in exasperation. “Shaw, what the fuck. Why are you carrying that like a lunchbox?”

Shaw rolls his eyes.

“You’re making a fucking mess.” But he’s not the only one. I press my hand against the hole in my side and wince.

Need to get this stitched up.

Shaw huffs. “You sound like Adrian. He’s so mad. Probably more mad I ran off. Oh, well.”

“You three are so fucking loud.” Rua walks over to us, looks at the head, then facepalms. “For fuck’s sake. Calix put the goddamn head next to Hunter’s uncle. You’re making it harder for everyone to clean up.”

“Blah, blah, blah.”

“Calix. Don’t make me call—”

Rua doesn’t dodge the head fast enough after Calix chucks it, and it hits him in the stomach before dropping to the ground. Then Shaw gives us the double middle finger before taking off, his twisted giggling filling the air.

I turn toward Rua. “Text Reyes.”

He rolls his eyes and pulls out his phone. “Already planned on it.”

Atlas shakes his head. “We need to find a way to control him more. Can’t just put it all on Cap. Shaw is a lot.”

Understatement.

But he’s right. Calix Shaw is one of us. He’s family. And it's not just on Reyes to take care of him.

“Sooo, you two kiss and make up?” Rua quirks a brow and grins as he looks up from his phone.

Neither of us responds.

“Ugh. Well, get to it. I’ll go find out what the plan is from Killian.” Rua walks off, giving Atlas and me space.

Atlas shoves his hands into his pockets, digging the toe of his gym shoe into the dirt. “Cody okay?”

“He’s not paralyzed. Has a few fractured vertebrae and a spinal cord concussion.”

“But I hurt him.”

“By accident.”

Tears streak down his cheeks. “He hates me.”

I pull Atlas into me once more and wrap my arms around him. “He’s mad at me, not you. He asked for you, is worried about you. Fuck, our little Titan wanted to strangle me with the IV tubing.”

Atlas huffs a laugh, but it cracks halfway through and turns into something else. He buries his face into my chest, and his shoulders heave, each breath coming out wet and broken. I rest my chin on top of his head, scanning the area as he breaks down. I fucked up twice and will spend every day making it up to him. Because he’s more than my best friend. Always has been.

“As much as I love watching this stomach-curdling cuteness, Doc’s expecting us, so let’s get moving.” Rua pulls a lollipop out of his pocket, unwraps it, then pops it into his mouth.

Figured we’d head to Doc’s. Can’t exactly walk into the ER with a stab wound. Even Atlas’s wrists will draw too much attention.

I step back and wipe away my best friend’s tears. “Sooner we get cleaned up, the sooner we get back to our little Titan.”

He nods.